Actor John Hurt Has Pancreatic Cancer

I admire his optimism but this won't end well. Pancreatic cancer is a bastard. He was wonderful as Quentin Crisp.

Veteran actor Sir John Hurt has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The 75-year-old, who was Oscar-nominated for his role in 1980's The Elephant Man, said he would continue working despite the diagnosis.
"I am undergoing treatment and am more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team," he told the Press Association.
Hurt, who starred as the War Doctor in Doctor Who in 2013, added he would continue with his professional work.
"I am continuing to focus on my professional commitments and will shortly be recording Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell (one of life's small ironies!) for BBC Radio 4," he said.
The actor said wanted to announce his diagnosis to the press because he had "always been open about the way in which I conduct my life and in that spirit I would like to make a statement".

Former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson has said he has been "cured" of the terminal pancreatic cancer with which he was diagnosed in 2012.The 67-year-old was initially given 10 months to live after rejecting chemotherapy, but had radical surgery to remove the tumour earlier this year."It was an 11-hour operation," he said at the Q Awards in London."This tumour weighed 3kg - that's the size of a baby," he continued. "Anyway, they got it all. They cured me."The guitarist went on his "farewell tour" in 2013 and recorded an album with The Who's Roger Daltrey."I thought that was going to be the last thing I ever did," he told BBC News entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson after the ceremony on Wednesday.'Calmly accepted' fate

Then, at the end of last year, a doctor got in touch and said "something strange" was going on because he was still alive.Johnson went to see a cancer specialist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and it was discovered that he had a rare form of tumour. He then had the surgery in April.

After the initial diagnosis, he was "absolutely convinced that this thing would kill me," Johnson said. "I accepted it. I didn't lose a minute's sleep about that."The musician said he had spent a year "calmly accepting the idea that I was going to die".He said: "I decided that was the way to deal with it - not to curse it or fight it or anything like that. Just try and enjoy the time left, which I'd done.'It's gone'

"In order to do that, you have to accept, yes you're going to die, which in itself was quite an experience because it gives you a whole different way of looking at things."And then for someone to come up and say 'We can fix it'... When they first said they could operate, I was thinking, 'What are they saying? They may be offering me two or three more months life?'"But no they weren't, they were saying they could get rid of the tumour, and that's what they did. And it's gone. And I don't have cancer."It's so weird and so strange that it's kind of hard to come to terms with it in my mind. Now, I'm spending my time gradually coming to terms with the idea that my death is not imminent, that I am going to live on."He said he was still recovering from the operation. When asked what he would do next, he replied: "I don't know really."Johnson's declaration came as he accepted the Icon Award at the Grosvenor House ceremony on Wednesday.Johnson's operation also involved the removal of his pancreas, spleen part of his stomach, small and large intestines and the removal and reconstruction of blood vessels relating to the liver.

In an interview with the Radio Times published Monday, Hurt said: “I can’t say I worry about mortality, but it’s impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it.”

“We’re all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly. But my treatment is going terrifically well, so I’m optimistic,” he added.

Hurt was recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his distinguished career. He was nominated for an Oscar for “The Elephant Man,” and starred in movies including the “Harry Potter” franchise, “Alien,” ”V for Vendetta” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

Hurt is filming the new “Tarzan” film with Samuel L. Jackson and Margot Robbie.